


I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm

by bedwyrssong



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: 1940s, Brooklyn, Huddling For Warmth, Illnesses, M/M, Pre-Captain America: The First Avenger, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-Slash, Pre-World War II Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, Sick Steve Rogers, Sickfic, Steve calling Bucky "you big lug" because that's sexy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-25
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:47:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24897184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bedwyrssong/pseuds/bedwyrssong
Summary: “You fucking idiot. What d’you think would have happened if I hadn’t come along?”Steve smirked, the fucking asshole. “Knew you would.”
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Kudos: 20





	I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm

**Author's Note:**

  * For [flippyspoon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flippyspoon/gifts).



> originally posted on Tumblr in response to the prompt "things you said while you were scared"

“Jesus, Steve, you’re freezing,” Bucky said.

They had arranged to have drinks with two girls Bucky’d met the week before, but Steve hadn’t shown. “I’m sure he’ll be here soon,” he’d told Steve’s date, a pretty doe-eyed thing even smaller than Steve himself. Then, five minutes later, in the middle of his date’s rant about her annoying kid brother, he blurted out, “This isn’t like him,” earning him a pair of glares.

Finally he slung his coat over his shoulder and said, “Better go check on the stupid jerk, make sure he’s all right.”

“You’ll be back though, right?” asked his date–Nancy–sipping on her coke.

“Maybe. I dunno. Don’t wait around.”

When he got to Steve’s apartment, he found the door locked and the windows dark. He knocked. Nothing. Of course it was possible that he’d forgotten about the appointment and gone somewhere else, or that he’d gotten the wrong place, but again, that wasn’t like Steve. Whispering a prayer and, an apology to his ma, for good measure, he picked the lock.

As soon as he saw his friend lying shivering and half-conscious on his narrow cot, all thoughts of Nancy’s blonde curls and red lips faded from his mind. He shook Steve’s shoulder, only getting a moan in response, then checked his pulse. It was there, but faint.

This was bad.

Steve had his clothes on, and a blanket over them, but it obviously wasn’t enough. Bucky stripped his coat off and wrapped it around Steve, then replaced the blanket. Now that he was standing there in his shirtsleeves, he realized how fucking cold it was. Goddamn radiator must have gone out. Bucky tinkered with it for a few moments before realizing that it just wasn’t gonna come back on. They’d have to do this the old-fashioned way.

He grabbed an armful of blankets from the closet, every goddamn blanket that Steve owned–not nearly enough, as far as Bucky was concerned–and piled them on top of his best friend. Then he fumbled around for matches before lighting a fire in the grate.

Making his way into the kitchen, he scrounged through Steve’s pantry until he found cans of milk and soup to heat up. While they simmered on the stove, he kept peeking around the corner and asking Steve if he was okay, to mumbled responses. It looked like there was a little more color in his cheeks, which made Bucky feel better.

Finally he sat on the edge of the bed, feeding Steve soup and making him sip on the hot milk.

“What happened?” he asked.

“Thought I’d go walking after class,” Steve said. “Went down to the docks. Sea’s so beautiful on gray days like today. Wasn’t until I was all the way there that I realized I ought to have worn another coat.” He paused for a breath. Bucky frowned at him, but he seemed to be unphased by it. “By the time I made it back here, I was already shaking, my asthma was acting up, and then the radiator wouldn’t turn on.” He looked bashful suddenly. “Then … I don’t remember anything else, until I heard your stupid voice.”

“You fucking idiot. What d’you think would have happened if I hadn’t come along?”

Steve smirked, the fucking asshole. “Knew you would.”

Bucky reached out, clutched his hand. “You’re a jerk.”

“Your hands are cold,” Steve said suddenly.

“ _My_ hands are cold? For God’s sake, Steve–”

Steve bit his lip and tried to shift the blankets. “C’mere, you big lug.”

Bucky set the bowl he was holding on the side table, then drew the blankets back and curled up next to Steve. He wasn’t quite as warm as Bucky would have liked, so he threw his arm around the smaller boy’s side, and snuggled close behind him. Somehow Bucky’s body warmed Steve in a way nothing else could, reflecting its warmth as the moon reflects the sun–which was funny, because a lot of the time, when Bucky looked at his friend’s face, it made him think of the sun.

“I thought you were going to leave me,” he blurted out.

He felt, more than saw, Steve smile. “Not a chance. You’re stuck with me.”

“I’m calling a doctor tomorrow. Gotta make sure you didn’t do any permanent damage, punk.”

“Bucky, you can’t–neither of us has the m–”

“Just shut up, won’t you? I’ll do an extra shift if I gotta.” He clutched Steve tighter to his chest. “I love ya, pal.”

Steve grunted. “You too, jerk.”


End file.
